Never Say Never
by ShadowFax999
Summary: When things are bad, they could only get worse. Two individuals brought together by a twist of fate's cruel hand; their paths fraught with difficulties they've never faced before... Will it bring two souls together or rip their entities apart
1. Never Say Never

Disclaimer: I own not X-Men in any make/form/'verse ... sob

With eyes shut tightly together, she pressed herself into her mattress forcing the breath out of her and tried in vain to numb the pain gnawing at her very essence.

'_Never'_... such a strong word, such a harsh, cold word... it would undoubtedly haunt her for the rest of her worthless life.

Her screams of injustice and pleads for mercy was muffled by the pillow she used in an attempt to smother herself. Life was _never_ fair. She did nothing to deserve such a cruel and harsh punishment. She wailed and sobbed into her lavender scented sheets which, instead of calming her, spurred her on. Her tears flowed freely now, recovering from the shock only to be assaulted by a barrage of emotions; anger, guilt... sadness.

Anger at her worthless body, what purpose did she now serve? She always promised herself that she'd be everything to her kids that she _never_ once had growing up. Again that blasted word, _never_. It should be skewered with adamantinum claws and then blasted into oblivion... recollected only to be ported away to a black hole and ripped apart from the inside. _Never,_ it made her nauseous. She didn't want to think, she wanted to yell at Hank! Prove him wrong! Rub it in their smug, know-it-all faces! Not her! She had too much love to give, too big a heart! She _loved_ so _hard_! And then the guilt settled in.

What right did she have ruining an innocent child's life? The child would _never_ have had the opportunity to been breast fed, they would _never_ know the feeling of their mother's touch. Would they have cursed their mutancy like she so religiously does? Would they blame their murdering monster of a mother once they discovered what they were? Subsequently, sadness suddenly overwhelmed her...

She's a monster, a hideous, childless, untouchable monster. What punishment was this? _Never_ to feel her baby's breath on her face, _never_ to cuddle a small bundle and whisper impossible promises, _never_ to rush out of bed in the middle of the night to cradle her upset babe and in hushed tones, calm him back to sweet slumber. She thoroughly despised that word, _never_...

Fisting her bare hands, she clenched until her nails dug in and she drew blood. Poisonous skin and a treacherous body, what a perfect combination, she felt like Murphy's sick and twisted idea of a Mutant Midas. She reeked of death and despair, she was indeed, better off dead.

_I want to end this..._

Quietly, she rolled off the bed and stepped onto the carpeted floor with a renewed purpose.

_I need to end this..._

Drying her tears, she focused entirely on... nothing. Not sadness, not guilt, not anger... not even _Never_.

_I've served my purpose dear god..._

An eerie wave of calmness overtook her as she placed her bare feet on the cold tiles of the private bathroom she shared with her room mate. A brief feeling of uncertainty plagued her but it was so quickly and violently thrown out that she was reminded painfully of the others' recollection of their first encounter with the fiend she, ironically, brought into this world.

_Defeated Apocalypse, I've done my duty..._

She didn't feel the shock running up her spine, reacting at the abrupt coldness of the floor as both mind and body was under some sort of alien numbness that she couldn't bring herself to question.

_Now please, give me courage..._

She felt like she was on auto pilot and as she curled her fingers around the sharpened blade she felt a sudden wave of _something_ her mind couldn't really process at the moment and for a brief moment wondered if a merciful god did exist.

_Give me courage dear god..._

She knew what was to be done. Her grip tightened and as the blade pressed into her skin, she still felt nothing.

_Give me courage, and give strength..._

She doubted herself for a brief second.

_Courage to do what is necessary..._

And then blood began to trickle down and she imagined that this is what euphoria must feel like. She didn't want to breathe anymore; she didn't want to feel...

_And the strength to be embraced by you, oh lord._

She wanted this to end, _now._

"_Rogue, my dear, I'm afraid that according to your latest physical examination, that you may _never_ be capable of having children. _

Never say Never.

_A/N: well I'm back again, no it isn't the sequel to my recently completed It's the little things... this is something new that plot bunnies have been clawing at my academically saturated brain for the last few weeks. You can guess this is Evo, just after Rogue kicked Apocalypse's blue ass. I don't know whether i should leave this as a one shot or a 2 part or even a multichap? I have an idea for a Remy POV or sumtin which can work as a 2 part. Not sure how good I am in the Angst/Tragedy department. Normally humour is my turf, so im up the creek, would some1 toss me a paddle? Lol Any suggestions? Reviews make the heart grow fonder lol_


	2. Nothing Is Nothing

Nothing Is Nothing

Nothing, it's a mind boggling word, this nothing. What is nothing? What does it comprise of? Or is that in itself an oxymoron? What constitutes nothing?

I'd love to feel nothing. Because in my short, mutated life, if felt everything, that is everything about nothing. I wonder indeed what does nothing feel like?

When I was younger and my empathy had first surfaced, I couldn't shut it off. I'd spend hours crying for my dead wife, head over heels for the love of my life, worrying about all my children in the guild and anxious about joining a family of thieves. Of course pere, Henri, Tante Matte and Merci were the only ones allowed near me as the youngest LeBeau screamed his life out for a merciful god to end it all. Only four people and I almost went mad, I feared for my diminishing future.

And so I ran, deep into the Swamps I ran, till I stumbled and fell and was too caked in mud to get up. And so I stayed, hours, days... I don't really remember time, but I remember feeling... everything. Every living being emits an aura; my mutation allows me to interpret these auras. Without a proper handle on my mutation I felt everything, there was a mass flow of feelings partly interpreted and I truly believed that if I did not get a handle on it soon it would destroy me.

I felt the crocs' anger, the frogs' bliss, the crickets worry and even the tress' contentedness. Who knew trees could feel? Apparently I could interpret anything and I wished for once that something felt nothing.

I slowly began focusing on one aura at a time, channelling it and then subduing it because its like a television remote without an off button. True there is no way of tuning it off but you can lower the volume and focus on other things.

My mutation did have it's perks as I became a real ladies' man when I became older, because making others happy was really a good thing for me. Hate eats away at you and if it goes unchecked can consume you. Pleasing the ladies almost always lead to activities which demanded a lot of focus and it was becoming more and more necessary to lose myself in someone else's pleasure than admit to the fact that the old methods of control were fast fading and once again I was slowly loosing control.

I was to marry to bring peace to the guilds; I would serve my family faithfully. That morning though nothing went according to plan. Standing at the alter all I could feel was the loathing and despise radiating of most of the Assassins at the thought of their precious daughter with that no-good thief. There was distinct worrying on the thieves' part as the feeling of impending doom loomed across the Chapel.

Bella was clueless though, it was her wedding day and nothing or no one could spoil that for her and for a brief moment I felt her radiating calmness I'd never been privileged to, and that alone pulled me out of the abyss I was slowly slipping into.

Nothing good lasts though as the chapel doors flung open and it revealed the bride's brother, drunk with such hatred that it forced me to my knees. Everything was in an uproar and no one noticed the glowing Cajun writhing on the floor.

She screamed at me to remove the charge from myself and I blindly grabbed around anxious to get the charge transferred as waves of fear and disgust hit me with a blinding force and I let go without looking.

As simple as that Julian's clothes exploded, scorching his body badly. I barely felt my own horror and waves of betrayal threatened to consume me and the last thing I remembered was her contorted features. Then everything went boom.

I was sent to a specialist, who specialised in nothing. I hate knives, I hate the smell of antiseptic and I hate blue, red eyed mutants who call themselves god.

I hated the nothingness he made me feel and I cursed the day I begged for it. But in truth, that was not nothing that I felt, I felt something, but its not something I associate myself with. Fear...Pure, unadulterated fear. The way he spoke, the calmness with which he referred to the dissecting of my mind rivalled that of Hannibal Hector. Fixing me? Nothing was wrong with me... nothing.

I was violated, I felt like I was mentally raped and even now I cannot fully comprehend the reality of what had happened. But I had a debt to repay and so when the time came I did what was instructed of me, like the mindless buffoon may accused me of being. It was too late though when I realised what was happening and although I did manage to save _une__p'tite_ the damage was done, blood was now on my hands and I cursed the day Jean Luc LeBeau forgot that I was his son.

I've come to pay my debt, the bald one knows the truth, but no one else does and so it shall remain. The leader, the last one left standing, the one whom on his last breath made me take an oath, once live here, was still a part of this family up until the moment I revealed his demise. They did not know, _ill is the bearer of bad news_.

I did not come here to fight the good fight, or under false pretences; my reasons are my own and I intend to keep them as my own. I did not come here to bond, so I shall do what is to be done and nothing more.

So now when I walk through these halls and I feel the overwhelming out pouring of sadness, guilt and anger my immediate reaction is to enforce my mental barriers and call for the professor's aid as one of his students is in need of assistance, whether they want it or not. Alas he is relating the grim news to the boy's aunt so I shall seek help from one of the other teachers. I try to send a wave of hope to the source of despair but I have no idea if it worked.

* * *

There is a wail of despair, the boy's aunty no doubt, as the sky immediately darkens and thunder ferociously sounds and lightening ominously flashes. The wind viciously howls and forces all the windows and doors open, allowing the cold rain to pound in.

This did not phase him however, as he was washed with another wave of emotions that he knew all to well, determination, but no the kind that is welcomed. The finality... the absolute belief that you're doing the right thing; ending your miserable existence. It's not a foreign feeling to him, every morning he wakes up to the feeling but it's been a while since he's tried to carry out anything. He has a promise to keep now, a purpose bigger than his self pitying, directionless existence.

He shouts out to a teacher down the hall, a short Canadian man, not really remembering his name. The source of all this hurt is close; he had practically taste her salty tears. The rest of the occupants of the mansion are being told of the unfortunate fate of their fallen comrade and all to suddenly he is his with a barrage of emotions, forcing him to his knees.

He needs to overcome this though, or she may succeed in attaining her twisted idea of utopia.

_"Dieu I'm sorry, I didn'__t know__... I didn't know why he wanted them down here.__ I swear I didn't!__"_

_"Traitor!"_

_"__Non__M'swear__! Jus' hang on an__'__ we'll figure this out. I saved Sarah, I can save you too.__ Jus hang on homme!__"_

_"__No, you leave me,__ its too __late__ I will remain down here with my family__. Bu__t__ you will do something for me. You __Owe__ me Cajun."_

_"Anything homme."_

_"You destroyed my family down here but there__ are__ still those on the topside. My family that I left behind__... The X-men, take care of them.__"_

_"I will, I swear on my honour. I won__'__t let you down __Spikey__."_

_"You better not Remy."_

He crawls through her room, searching for her. It's too much, the sadness, the grief, there is a sliver of apprehension and it urges him forward.

His vision gets blurry; he sees a mess on the bathroom floor, a pile of pale limbs and auburn hair... with white stripes? Blood, blood everywhere and suddenly someone rushes to her and picks her up. There is shouting and he can feel himself being lifted off the floor but he doesn't have the energy to do it himself.

Sighing, realising that she is safe, he succumbs to blissful unconsciousness where he feels absolutely nothing.

So what is nothing? Nothing is nothing.

* * *

A/N: Sob... I'm sorry I jus had to post this, it's been nagging at me for a while now and jus... Idk! Vixen i know i said id put this as a companion piece but... I couldn't help myself. Sweet god its like anything I touch turns to Romy! Please forgive me... Review n tell me what a horrible person I am... or maybe that this may be worth persuing? Does it tickle ne1s fancy? So sory for the change in pov at the end, i hope the 'line' gives some sense to it, i jus didn't want to put that part in Remy's POV... (hope that kinda works better Jess). It pisses me off too I just can't fig how to fix it otherwise (i like the 3rd person pov dnt wanna change it).

Kudos all!


	3. Volitile

Disclaimer: I do not own Marvel... or it'd be all Romy, all the time. And then I'd go broke, have to sell my rights to keep the shirt on my back and once again I'd be back to writing half assed fan fiction.

WARNING: my language is gonna get colourful/explicit/obscene (I gonna cuss... a lot) in this chapter so; Proceed With Caution. Also just a side note, this is AU, this is the first time Remy has ever encountered the X-Men. Think Evo but without him in it... kinda

* * *

Chapter 3

Volatile

The girl moaned as she struggled to open her eyes, where the hell was she? She felt like Jamie had dropped her in a pinball machine and finished off with a High Score.

The blinding light assaulted her sensitive eye and she was distinctly aware of several burning sensations along her arms. _'What the hell?'_

The nauseating scent of antiseptic assaulted her nose and she resisted the urge to puke all over the squeaky clean tiles she had unfortunately been all too familiar with over the past couple of years.

_Groan._

What the hell was that? Was there someone else with her in the med bay? Who the hell was the poor sucker? She didn't remember hearing about anyone getting damaged in any Danger Room Sessions recently. Damn Logan and his freakin' 'Happy Hours'.

Anyway who the fuck would tell her, she's been such a ray of fucking sunshine for the past couple of days...weeks... years...? _Shrug_. Whatever, whoever the fuck it was, would be getting an early Christmas present: one big bitch off for being born.

Cracking open an eye, she turned her head to the sound and gasped.

"Who the fuck are ya?" Her raspy voice did not impede the impression of the blatant threat she spat. The direct approach never failed, after all what the hell was the purpose of small talk when there was a complete stranger lying in the bed next to you in a top secret section, of a secret MUTANT Mansion, in a secluded part of the forest, in the middle of no where. Damn, Logan really needed to improve the security system in this place.

Snapping his head to face her, which looked painful by the way, his features contorted into a sneer as he regarded the rude girl.

_White stripes_, now where on earth had he seen something like that before?

Oh yeah, she was the _fille_ responsible for the mother of a headache he was unsuccessfully trying to recover from. He heard her gasp at the sight of his unusual eyes and decided to mess with her, the little freak should have been grateful to him. She lived in a school with a bunch of preppy freaks, that run around town in their underwear as a hobby and yet his _eyes_ freaked her out? It probably wasn't the best comparison but he was on morphine so that was the best he could come up with.

He had saved her fucking life; she should be kissing his sore feet. Damn Goth freaks and their fucking cutting. Didn't the femme grow out of that whole teenage angst shit by now?

"M' d fucking Devil is who." He practically growled at her. His eyes glowed, as embers in a sea of darkness. Frightening, hypnotic, sensual yet sinister all at the same time, so what? Wimpy shit like his eyes couldn't faze her. She was the Rogue.

She scoffed at the amateur and his so called growl, '_please like anyone could ever come close to the Wolverine.'_

"That's some neat party trick ya have there Sugah," she casually remarked about his glowing eyes, "But try it on some two bit blond. My mother's a blue skinned Mutant terrorist bad ass and mah holier than thou Catholic brother looks like the spawn of Satan himself. So come again Sugh, or ah promise y'er sorry behind, ah'll drain ya dry, ya pathetic waste of organic matter."

The blond jib hit a little to close to home, so he let his anger mesh with hers; burning, consuming, rhythmic; he embraced it and allowed his empathy to amplify it. He needed to lash out and unfortunately for this _femme,_ he was not in a charming mood.

"A smart one, _non_? Seems to Remy, like he's found himself a piece of Mississippi trash too far up North for her own good. Have y' forgotton all bout good ole Southern hospitality already Chere?

"Oh go screw yerself Bayou Breath!"

"Y' better go clean that mouth of yours Chere, it's stinking just like the sewage sludge y' people call a river."

"Come 'ere Sugah, lemme touch that pretty little face of yours and put ya out of ya miserable existence."

"Would ya Chere? Remy'd be much oblidged."

She didn't retort and he was seriously wondering whether or not she was actually contemplating doing it. He glanced over at her and he noted the faraway look in her eyes, she had strayed off into her own world and he took a moment to briefly compose a mental sketch on her.

Physically she was heavier than most of the girls at the mansion he had meet so far, whilst they were tall and slender, this one was shorter and stockier. She had a bigger rack and rounder hips, she seemed fit as her visible muscled were all healthily toned, she wore more conservative clothes, with a southern twang and a mouth as hot as Tabasco sauce, the white strips at the front of her hair confirmed that she was indeed Spike's old and dear friend, Rogue.

* * *

"_So there any belle femmes in dat Mansion y' used to live in homme?" Remy LeBeau questioned his brooding companion lightly as they kept watch over the rest of their family, the Morlocks. They took the responsibility of the graveyard shift since they were easily, both the most combat experienced and the most advanced in the handling of their respective powers._

"_Gross Remy! Those girls were like my sisters, LeBeau!" The question had served its purpose in pulling the younger mutant out of his latest rut as the recent falling out he had between himself and his leader Callisto, had no doubt weighed quite heavily on the younger mutant's mind._

"_Right homme, didn't you y'self say that when y' did the video assignment f' school y' tried to get the red head in the bathroom?"_

"_She was brushing her teeth! It's not like I wanted film her coming out of the shower or anything."_

"_M' bet the one eye one would've paid y' some bon cash for that though, from the way that y' say he pined after her."_

"_Could be 'pin_es_', I have no idea when Scott will ever get the courage to suck it up and ask her out. That's one the things I don't miss about the mansion though; all the teenage drama."_

"_Right homme, Remy'd be glad to leave a mansion, with access to virtually unlimited funds, a hot meal, loving family and a full nights rest in a heartbeat too if Remy could." His sarcastic drawl barely concealed the bitterness of the irony that no one in a thousand miles could comprehend. He had all that too once, but that was the past and right now he had Spike's silence to contend with, wondering if he had for once pushed too much._

"_Spike? M'sorry man if I offended-"_

"_No Remy, its ok. It's just they were my family for a while, and well I guess my little trip down memory lane went a little farther than usual. I still miss them though. But I couldn't stay there. I believe in the professor's dream Remy, but to a certain extent. Sometimes retaliation is necessary for survival, and I just couldn't bear anymore to be preaching this stuff as Gospel Truth to the entire world and be ignorant of the fact that whilst I snuggled under my cotton sheets at night, others didn't even have a cat to wrap around themselves to protect them from the cold."_

"_Cotton sheets? Tell Remy it was at least 700 Threat count or something. Remy'd think baldy would spring for some silk sheets at the very least."_

"_Jeeze Remy! You sound like Kitty man!"_

"_Dat the femme dat can't cook?"_

"_Yeah only don't tell her that, she'll go all Emily Rose on you dude."_

"_Homme, daz some scary femmes you lived with."_

"_Naw dawg, you ain't heard nothing yet till you've heard about our resident Rogue."_

"_Rouge? Dat some sort of perfume or sumtin?"_

"_NO you stupid Cajun, it's Rogue, a girl... a scary ass girl, but a girl nonetheless."_

"_Please like she could be as bitchy as Callisto when she has to go topside."_

"_Cajun, just be glad you've never crossed paths with a mansion's resident southern loner. Man, she even got Wolverine tamed and that in itself is not small feat my friend."_

"_Ya getting philosophical on me there skater boy?"_

"_Naw dawg, its just, those two really seem to connect at the mansion you know. Those two were a strange pair."_

"_What? They were sneakin' round or sumn'?"_

"_Gross! No you perverted swamp thing! It was more like kindred spirits, even father daughter like. I swear Remy, if I didn't know you any better I'd say you had a one track mind."_

"_What? It aint Remy's fault y' lace y' words with innuendos" Was the cheeky reply accompanied by the innocent smile that made angels fall from the heavens._

_Looking pensive once again Spike admitted, "Besides Wolverine, I think she was the one at the mansion that really understood how the world really works and the only one who understands my purpose. The others just can't shake their naive notions of realty."_

_After a couple indecisive moments he confessed, "She looks out for me still, strangely enough. We were never close at the mansion, but after I came down her something changed between us. When worked together to bring down Apocalypse last year, she didn't leave like the others. She came back to the sewers and looked for me. Callisto almost shit a cow, it was funny though; I'd never guessed we'd become so close."_

_Remy chuckled, "You crushin' on the Emo kid, Sk8er Boi?"_

_Spike gasped in horror, "Oh my god I don't know what's worse you thinking I like Rogue or that you know an Avril song."_

_Their laughter echoed in the tunnels before they could help themselves and pretty soon Callisto had marched from her quarters with a determination both boys couldn't help but quiver at._

* * *

All too sudden a bout of nostalgia hit and he became wary of the tone the conversation had taken so he decided to take it down a notch and at least try to be civil to the girls. She would no doubt be one of his future team mates, which meant that whilst he didn't have to like her, he needed to be able to work with her in high stress situations. He did not come here to make friends but for his respect for Spike, he would try not to make enemies either.

They both sighed simultaneously and immediately shut up at the coincidence.

After a moment he asked in a subdued voice, "So Remy guess that be your power then? To kill a person with a touch?"

"Hmm, my kiss of death." She mumbled to herself, with no further explanation she rolled over in the bed and pretended to fall asleep as she absently fingered her scars trying to piece together what had happened.

She remembered McCoy, she remembered the way it felt; like a small part of her dying, a part she didn't even know existed until today; the last song of a dying phoenix. Only she was not a phoenix for phoenixes were beautiful, spellbinding, and graceful, they rose from the ashes in a stupefying act of rebirth. No she was no phoenix, she possessed none of those qualities, ironically that would have to be the heavily pregnant Jean Grey Summers.

'_Never have kids.'_ Damn it, that wasn't how her story was supposed to go! What the hell was she living, some cheesy midday soap opera or something? Was everyone going to get their happy ending and leaver her to be an old, greying, spinster with a million cats and a fetish for yarn? God her life was more like a Saturday Morning cartoon anyway according to her darling brother who was seriously considering joining the Vatican.

She turned over in her bed and found herself staring at the Cajun next door. Maybe she should've tried to be nicer to him... One question popped into her head though, _WHY?_

Oh well it was a thought. Still staring at him, not caring what he'd think (the fact that his eyes were closed had nothing to do with it) she decided that maybe she should go away for a while. Leave the mansion for a bit. She was sure Beast could convince the professor to allow her a couple days off, away from the mansion. Maybe she could disappear for a while after that, she really did not want to be around when Jean's baby was due. She would be afraid to hold the kid because of her powers so she wouldn't but she could avoid the humiliation of seeing everyone cringe when she walked into the same room with the kid.

Irene had raised her to be a good Southern girl, and envy was no way a part of that upbringing but believe you me she sure was finding it HARD, to ignore that little knot in her stomach.

Suddenly the knot moved up to her throat, her tongue became parched and she fought to keep the corner of her lips from turning downwards, her chest heaved and all to soon the floods came and naught could stop the overflow.

He felt it. Softly, melancholic she wept. And it was not the excruciating pain that he usually felt after a girl was heartbroken, most of the times thanks to said Cajun. No, this was different, this was what he felt when they told Bella her pere had died, this was what he felt when he told Mattie he was leaving his bell Orleans for good, this is what he felt... He knew this feeling; he felt it a long time ago. When he first got teased about being _Le Diable Blanc,_ in the orphanage, when a little of his humanity died that night. When Spike figured out his family was slaughtered.

She was sad. Terribly, yet truly and deeply.

* * *

A/N: I shouldn't be here updating, I should be studying cause i'm in the middle of xams... damn. Did not mean to offen anyone with my caustic remarks towards various influences. I appologise, its Rogue and Remy's fault. They said it not me. I'm just trying to set a frame of mind for them, I don't necessarily agree with them.


	4. I'm Not Ok I Promise

Chapter 4

I'm Not Ok I Promise

He was one of the most powerful people in the world, head of a school that housed some of the most dangerous people in existence and his dearest friend was a world renowned Mutant Terrorist, yet all these labels aside, at the end of the day Charles Xavier was but a mere mortal man and had no idea how to deal with the problem at hand.

Within the last eight hours, one student had tried to end their life and a former student had their life taken away from him. He had also just granted another highly volatile and no doubt criminal mutant, one in directly responsible for the death of his former pupil. Whilst he had broken the news to the boy's aunt, he had yet to tell the rest of the student body and of course there was the problem that left him completely mystified, laying half dead in the med lab.

Ever wonder how so many things could go wrong in such a short span of time? The bald mutant could barely wrap his aging mind around these current developments and he had a hard time figuring out what was the next move.

He had sworn to the boy that his involvement in the _incident_ in the sewers would remain a secret, but it was highly unlikely that his students would remain in the dark for too long about the truth. For work purposes he would have to tell the senior X-Men, they would figure it all out during their next assignment in any case. Of course the rumours would spread through the mansion and the boy would be subjected to their scrutiny, or so he told the boy. So the question remained, how would he introduce their most recent volunteer to the team?

That was only a part of his overwhelming problems that was beginning to give him a massive migraine. Then there was the woman in the med lab, a couple of levels below him. He knew she had to speak with Hank earlier about some health complications, the doctor told him that it was not something that could physically be detrimental to her; however it may have a catastrophic effect on her mental state.

The aging telepath sighed and rubbed his temples in an attempt to relieve the growing ache within his cranium. He had not pried, allowing the girl that bit of privacy, but now he wondered whether that had been the best course of action in dealing with the girl, especially since he didn't know what exactly the problem was.

He was being faced with two problems, two very unique problems in their own right and they required immediate attention, for the sake of all persons involved. His team had faced countless adversaries and overcome them, not without its challenges, but never had they had to deal with enmities within their own team, within themselves.

The girl needed sometime to revaluate herself and her situation obviously, maybe it would be best get away for a bit but with some sort of supervision of course. As for the boy, he needed to settle things with his team before he could bring the Gambit into the inner folds of the X-Men. It would do the boy no good to have him around when the others came to know the truth. They all needed to set aside their differences and work together to bring down this new enemy.

* * *

'_Will all Senior X-Men report to my office immediately please?'_

The summons was not uncommon but most of the gathering members couldn't fight the ominous feeling that threatened to consume them. They all felt sightly uncomfortable as Rogue's absence was felt throughout the room.

"My X-Men, I've summon you for a rather different reason today. Firstly as you may know, we have a new addition to the team." At this point everyone acknowledged the absence of their newest recruit, a genuine gambit, nonetheless.

"His first mission shall be a solo one in which the primary objective is mere surveillance and the target is in an ally of very little concern, it is a relatively simple mission which mainly focuses on testing our latest recruit's strengths and weaknesses."

"So what yer sayin' Chuck is that yer gonna have this nutcase Gumbo, stalk Stripes to whatever Looney bin yer shippin' the kid off too and give yer updates in case she tries to off herself again?" The growling Wolverine once again voiced what everyone else was thinking, albeit in a more crude fashion, as he continued to chew on his unlit cigar, trying his very best to figure out what the balding spook was hiding.

'_I'm trying to be tactful, my old friend, not hiding_.' The professor projected back to Logan, earning the seemingly elder man a snarl at the unwelcomed, mental intrusion.

"May I be the first to point it out my dearest adamantinum structured friend, but I do not believe that the Cajun dish of Gumbo contains any nuts in it culinary combination. Now I may stand corrected at the thought of Jambalaya, however..."

'Skint'

Rubbing his eyes tiredly, the professor aimed to regain control of the chaos that had descended his quiet domain. The students felt no need to sensor or even curb the harshness of the projections they were currently bombarding him with and not for the first time for the day, the old man felt at a complete loss.

At that moment, fate chose to intervene and the doors of the private study flung open, revealing the visibly distraught, yet entirely regal weather Goddess.

"I do apologise Professor, for my tardiness, I was merely finalising plans with Vivian for the memorial service." Although her eyes watered and her voice cracked, she moved with an air of confidence and resolute that commanded the respect and attention of her peers. Fate, the professor decided, would not be blessing him with any of her good graces tonight.

The dead silence of the room, which was just moments ago, descending into anarchy, weighed heavily in the room as everyone took a moment to remember their fallen comrade. However, time was of the essence to the professor and e decided that it was best, for all parties involved, that he informed them all of the latest developments that led him to calling this meeting in the first place.

"That is quite understandable Ororo, please give my regards to her and the rest of your family and if there is anyway I can be of assistance, please do not hesitate to ask."

"Thank you Charles."

Clearing his throat, the professor launched into his ill prepared speech before he lost the attention of the room again, "Due to recent developments, the nature of which I am not exactly unaware of, one of your peers is having a difficult time coping with the hand fate has dealt her." Pausing to acknowledge the murmurings of the other occupants of the room, he reiterated, "No, I am no sure exactly the source of her distress because she has not seen it fit to inform me and I intend to fully respect her privacy. However, I have been reassured by another means that this recent development is something she has to come to terms with on her own and not something we should force her to reveal."

"But we're her friends-" Kitty began protesting at the prospect of not being able to help her friend and feeling a bit sore that she had no idea what on earth was going on with the girl, like the rest of the mansion.

"Yes Kitty and that is exactly why we need to show her that we trust her. What she needs right now is space and time to think, not a crowd of people claiming to know how she feels and the best ways to help her."

"So we send her away professor? Won't it seem like we're betraying her? Abandoning her?" The leader of the X-Men was having a difficult time processing the events of the last couple of hours and it shook him to his very core, of the reality he is now being faced with. Rogue was a kindred spirit with him, they both came from places and mutations that no one else could really begin to comprehend, not even the gorgeous red-head sitting next to him.

"We aren't sending her away really Scott. I have offered her a break from the mansion, a vacation of sorts to a small cottage near the sea which I haven't been too in years. She has expressed an interest in the idea and since the place will need a little renovation, I have offered her the services of the newest recruit, Remy LeBeau, who had previously confessed to being a handy-man of sorts in his past occupations."

"But why the new kid professor? Why not me or Logan? Or even Beast? What if something happens to her?" Scott persisted, still not satisfied with the answers being given to him.

"Rogue needs sometime away from the usual faces and scenery to prepare herself for an upcoming battle. I have confessed to her of the gravity of the situation and she has assured me that on her return to the mansion she will be capable of being reinstated at her full X-Man status. In the mean time I have various missions I need the X-Men to carry out in preparation for a battle like none we've ever had before. Mr. LeBeau has brought to my attention that there is a mutant doctor who goes by the alias Mr. Sinister who have been stirring up trouble. We need to investigate whether or not the allegations being brought against this mutant is as serious as Mr.LeBeau charges."

"You don't sound like you trust the boy Chuck." Wolverine's gruff voice and narrowed eyes bellied the implication of just how little he himself was beginning to trust the Cajun.

"The boy has a history with the scientist and I will not pretend that it does not perturb me that I cannot read the boy's mind, nor am I positive whether it is a by-product of his kinetic mutation or as a precaution of his previous... employment with the man in question."

"Something smells rotten in the whole shindig Charles" Logan's face was set in a frown and soon everyone else in the room began becoming suspicious of their newest addition.

"The boy has confessed that in exchange for his services that he would gain some sort of control over his volatile mutant powers. Without much choice, he took up the employment and many aspects which he refuses to divulge have come to pass. The atrocities he had been forced to witness and a crude betrayal via his employer led him here to the X-Men. He swears, if left unchecked, this mad man could prove dangerous in the future. I believe enough of his tale to investigate whether or not it is something the X-Men should get involved in."

"Charles," all eyes turned to Ororo as she spoke for the first time since her entrance, "Is this boy the reason you've come to know of the Massacre of the Morlocks?"

Suddenly the air seemed to crackle with static electricity as the question and the implication began to take fruit in everyone's mind. _Employment...Atrocities... betrayal..._

"Yes, I am afraid so Ororo." The entire room went into an immediate uproar as the reality that they now housed a murderer sank in. All too soon Storm's eyes turned cold and she immediately lifted herself out of the room searching for the man she deemed responsible for her nephew's death.

As chaos descended upon the Mutant Manor, Charles briefly wondered whether nor not there was a better way to deal with this situation and for once decided that he really didn't care.

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.

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Simultaneously, whilst the meeting went to the dogs and many of the X-men were hunting for Cajun blood, said Cajun glanced over to the woman sleeping next to him.

His first mission for the X-men, was to baby sit this volatile girl next to him, for the next two months. Turning to look out the window of the Jet, he allowed his mind to stray a bit.

There was no doubt in his mind that the professor would tell everyone of his involvement in the death of heir fallen comrade. He knew that was why the old man had instructed him to accompany the girl, who for some reason was getting an all expenses paid trip, halfway around the country, right when her team mates were about to prepare themselves for a war unlike anything they've ever seen.

All too soon, he felt his eyelids drooping and a familiar dream creeping at he corners of his soon to be slumbering mind. Hot sticky air, stagnant swamp smells, buzzing insects and a cool breeze tickling the back of his neck as he lay in the shade of a mighty tree, whose buttress roots provided him with a niche unlike any other.

A small smile which had not graced his haggard features in ages, found its way to his face as one last coherent filtered through his mind, _'Home...'_

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A/N: Well there you have it people, another instalment. I must confess I am a bit lost, I know where I want to be but not how to get there and I am afraid my dear readers you are paying the price. Should I even continue with this fic? Although I must admit that my current disposition may be as a result of the fall in reviews for my pride and joy _Fancy_, maybe I am just a bit depressed. Special thanks to all those who've reviewed and continue to do so, you people truly make my day lol. Cyber cookies for those of you who know the song and group the Chapter title is based on lol. Kudos to Gammy who, although she has exams, find time to review my pathetic stories! Lol.


	5. Shadow Of The Day

Chapter 5

Shadow Of The Day

The roar of the jet touching down on the private air strip brought the girl out of her light slumber, sleepy eyes cracked open and her palms scrubbed at her face. Getting up she stretched and yawned loudly only noticing the passenger next to her for the first time.

Looking away slightly embarrassed at her display, she headed o the back of the jet where they would collect their few pieces of luggage and disembark. As she heft the lone duffel bag she brought, she felt it lift off her shoulders and sup around in time to see her companion shoulder her bag and his own duffel.

Without sparing the girl much of a glance he walked away stating that he would carry them to the car. She didn't care if it was a brush off or not. She had two months to herself, and a new team mate who seemed to prefer to go off by himself, which was perfect for her. She didn't need a babysitter and she didn't need a 'handy man' as the professor put it, to help her fix up the house they would be staying in. Living with a blinded guardian down in the south made her quite capable in fixing up stuff around the house. She was brought up a rather self sufficient Southern gal.

Saying good by and thanks to the pilot, Forge, she trailed behind the Cajun who walked pointedly to the car, an old lime green Volkswagen Bug parked at the end of the runway. Without pause, he slipped into the driver's seat and tumbled the engine. Not bothering to quicken her pace, eyes locked onto the shades concealing the strange red on black eyes she saw when she awake in the med lab previously, she studied the man currently behind the wheel of her, literally, vehicle to freedom.

He was a pretty boy, no doubt a real lady's man, with the mysterious shades he always donned and the trench over no doubt designer outfits, tailored to his lean body. She could almost imagine the smirk on his face when he was told his first assignment was to baby sit her, a free vacation and with a _belle femme_ too of course. She sneered in her mind, men were such pigs.

Meanwhile, the Cajun in the car worn out form the trip, he hated flying, began tapping his fingers impatiently against the steering wheel, was this girl going to be pissing him off the entire trip? She practically strolled to the car, with her fists firmly tucked away in her pockets, partly glaring at him.

This one was a bit _fou_, running hot one minute and then cold the next. She seemed almost casual getting off the plane, although he was in a hurry to get off, planes and him never bode well together. Whatever it was she had better deal with it herself as he was in no mood to baby-sit a moody, grumpy goth for an entire month, and if she taught he was going to wait on her spoil ass for the entire vacation, she was in for a rude awakening.

They would be plunging head first into a very real and very dangerous threat, he'd be damned if he'd let Sinister get the best of him again. He made a promise to a friend he help put six feet under and come hell or high water he'd keep it as long as there be breath in his Cajun body.

The passenger side door opened and a sullen looking girl sat down next to him. He revved the engine one last time and drove off. Maybe a year ago he'd cringe at the thought of getting into the unique Volkswagen, but after everything...

Never one to enjoy long, awkward silences Rogue attempted conversation with the fellow southerner, "Well we haven't been formally introduced, ah'm Rogue, by the way." Making a valid attempt to start from scratch with the newbie, she did not need to be on off terms with the man she was supposed to share a house with for the next month.

He grunted in reply, acknowledging her attempt at normalcy, "Name's Remy. Remy LeBeau."

She rolled her eyes in response, "Mah god, ah bet you're quite the lady's man aren't you Mr. Beautiful One."

He chuckled slightly at the comment; she was the first person to comment on his name with underlying disgust rather than dissolving into giggles, which was a bit refreshing to tell the truth. " Y' know Remy wouldn't throw bricks if he was you, living in that big ole glass house. Really Chere, the whole one name thing is so 90's, so who inspired it? Was it Pink? Or even Cher?" he chuckled and glanced at her next to him now slouched in her seat next to him, knees braced upon the dashboard in front of her.

Glowering at him she confessed, "When ah found out about mah powers, when they first manifested, ah left the naive little girl with the proper names and southern charm back on the banks of the great Mississippi." Her eyes were a bit distant and he was keenly aware of how far away she really was.

After driving a little way he spotted a couple of landmarks which would lead him in the direction of the cottage. Turning into a gravel road, he drove into the sun as a small house became visible in the distance. Driving past the front gates, which were wide open, he stopped in front of their home for the next month. The view left him speechless.

"What the heck?" Rogue's eloquent exclamation summarized everything he could not at the moment. With the sun hidden behind the house, he carefully lifted his shades from his sensitive eyes and surveyed the house. Well, what should have been a house in any instance...

The walls of the cottage were embedded with shells and were, in its former days of glory, whitewashed. Currently it was in a dire need of a scrubbing, the couple of steps leading to the front door was missing an odd plank or two, the front door itself was slightly off its hinges and the inside looked bleak. No lines to the house could be seen and it was assumed that there was no electrical power available in the house. The window at the front of the house, from which the road and driveway was visible, had a broken window pane.

Stepping inside Rogue noted that the kitchen was unconventionally the first room to her left; the one with the broken window pane, noting the bare essentials held in the kitchen, she made a mental note to check things out as soon as she found a bedroom to put her stuff in. To her right was a little sunken siting room, with a couple of wicker furniture, quite notably a rocking chair. A couple of steps led to an elevated part of the house, the floor throughout the house was done simply in varnished mahogany planks, which seemed to be in good condition save for the thick coat of dust and grime accumulated from years of disregard. There was a small dining area, with a hall to one side presumably leading to the bedrooms and to its polar opposite, leading to a magnificent patio, quite literally off the edge of the cliff, rock cared stairs winded down to the waves below, possible a bathing area and an outside shower could be seen in the small side yard which the stairs led away from.

The patio itself had a low railing, partially covered, scattered furniture with a hammock and a small swing, a small table and a breathtaking view of the wide open sea. The setting sun was picture perfect and as she turned to find her missing companion she bumped into a firm chest.

Without a second thought, his hands went to her waist to steady her but his face was fixed on the panoramic view before him and he couldn't help but whisper, "C'est incroyable!"

His voice near her ears made her shiver involuntarily and he immediately was pulled out of his stupor and let go of her waist.

"The bedrooms are on the other side of the house, Remy put your bag in the bigger bedroom, there's a little storage room adjoining to it on one side and a door to the bathroom on the next. Remy apologizes but the place only has one bathroom so it looks like we'll have to share, Remy's room is on the other side of the bathroom also but he promises to keep the door looked on his end if y' would prefer."

"Whatever," she smiled inwardly at not sounding a bit as breathless as she felt, "It doesn't really matter to me, its just the two of us so it should be hard to figure out when someone's in there."

Remy nodded and turned away, disappearing into the house, calling over his shoulder, "Remy's gonna empty the stuff from the car and then figure out how to turn on the power in this joint. Then we can decide who's gonna clean the bathroom, fix the bedrooms and make dinner."

Making her way back into the house she spared one last glance at the now darkening skies and with a hint of optimism she hadn't felt in a long time, went to help her new roommate.

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Sob... i took so long to update and it crappy Sob i tried... Thank you all you beautiful cyber people who reviewed... u rock my socks! Some one even PM'd me cries i fear i have disappointed you people... enchantedlight, pennylane87, emotionalcrack, Wanda W, tfobmv18, UltimateGammy91...

Hope this could hold you guys over, i'll be busy again, but I plan to have a little home improvement fun with them lol...

Kudos

Delphine

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